Catch means for vanity cases



Jan. 13, 1931. J. L. M ATREE CATCH MEANS FOR VANITY CASES Filed March17, 1928 Patented Jan. 13, 1931 trial) "sures PATENT {Pricey JOHN L.MCATREE, OFBRQOKLYN, NEW.YbRK,fASSiGNORTO SCOVILDMANUFACTURING COMPANY,or WATERBURY, connncrrcur, nconronnrion oriconnncrrre'ur renamesronfvanrriz CASES ap licanba "matriarch 17', 1928. seas-m 262,536.

This invention relates to certainimprovements in small boxes elf-eases"for holding cosmetics and other toilet articles now' commonly known asvanity boxes. i

One type of lZhQSQbOXGS includes a'body member forming a compartment forholding the desired toilet article, this' bod'y having a coverassociated therewith, usually by means of a hinge. Another type of suchboxinciudes a body and cover members 'eachdesigned to hold a cosmetic oroth'er'toi l'et article, these parts being usually associated-01 1 ahinge combined with an intermediate cover.

or partition member, which maybe in the form of a mirror. lt'isdesirable in "this class of boxes that-means be provided "tor 1 holdingthe parts in closed relationlwhenjin non-use, but which meansmay bereadily manipulated top'ermit the separation or opening of the parts ofthe box. a

It is the especial object of the present-invention to provide animproved catch or locking means for sriclr'boxes by which the parts ofthe box may bepositively locked together but may be readilyand'easilyreleased when it is desired to open the box.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide catch means of improvedconstruction by which a simple rotary movement of'smal'l extent willmove it to securing and release positions. 7

A "further. object of the invention is to provide such a box and lockingmeans of neat and attractive appearance and of simple de sign so thatthe parts maybe" cheaply made and quickly assembled.

With these and other objects not fspea cifically referredto in view, theinvention consists llZCGIhZllIl novel parts,- arrangements andcombinations which will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the novel features pointed out in the claims hereuntoannexed.

In these drawings, V

Figure 1-. is a front edge view-of a vanity case made in accordance withthe invention, the case-being show n closed; 7 3

Figure 2 is a view of the case shown in Figure 1, the parts ofthe casebeing shown in open position, and a I I Y FigurejZ-B is a centralsectional-view orran enlarged scale of the 33 of Figure 1. 7 Referringnow to these drawings in detail, the improved case may" be made of lightmetal and of any convenient or desired sh-ape, and the invention may beemployed in either single cases, that is, a case adapted to holdcaseftaken on the line one cosmetic, or double cases,ithat is, a caseGil capacitated to hold two cosmetics. "The case selected to illustratethe inventionis one or the latter type and is pr ovided with an interiorpartition and While a case'made'in this form isp'referabl'e, it Willbe,understood that this isinerely illustrativeof the invention. fT-he caseshown 'compris'estwo similar "case sections 1,2, which are the same inconstructionancl so can be made by'the same stamping operation. Thesecase sections are,as'shown,

provided with sidewalls 3 which at their rims are slightly inturned, asindicated at' l in Figures 1 and 2. The case sectionsare pivotallyassociated by a hinge. While this hinge construction may vary widelyas'to its specific details, this is formed in-the. box shown 'byapair'of beze'lsor rings 5,16 each "having-a rim 7 and a flange 8depending'irom the rim-and engaging the, bottom of the box. Thesebeze'ls are of spring'metal and are secured in place by snapping thempast the inturned edge 4 of the. shell members 1, 2, the bezels bein 7than "without' tlie necessityof anyiurther thus securely held in p'osisecuringQ-mems. These bezels each have formed thereonhinge knuckles 9,10, these t knuckles bein' produced by turning up and over a part 0 themetal of the bezels, and these hinge knuckles are united by a pintle1-1.

In the particular construction illustrated a central partition, whichacts as a com-plemen'ta'ry cover for-the box, is hinged between thesections and'preferably'on'the same pint'le 11 which connects the twobezels. Thispartr 'tionis shown in the form of a metal plate 12 highlypolished on fibothsides,thustorming a double mirror, and this plate isprev'ided with an integral-ear 13,(Figure3)byj'whichritis hinged tothe'jpintle;

:In accordance with the-invention, an aim proved catchme'ans is providedfor holding the parts of the box together, which is manip ulated by ashort turning movement to securing and release positions. This catchmember generally includes a socket and a cooperating rotary stem..Nhere, as inthe present instance, the box is a doubl box, the socket isformed on the central partition. syvhile the socket construction mayvary toJsome extent,

Lil

as shown, this socket includes a socket mem ber 14 having a split endinto v.whichrmay, enterthe edge of the partition member, the, socketbeing clamped or otherwise secured to the edge of the partition,preferably opposite the hinge pintle 11, before referred to.

The socket 1 member projects outwardly from thepartition to the outsideof the box and is provided with an interior thread 15. Cooperating withthis threaded portion of the socket is a catch member shown in the formof a screw stem having a threaded portion 16 and'a head 17, this headbeing preferably roughened or knurled, as indicated at 18. to give agoodgrip to the fingers incoperating the catch.

The head-17 isrecessed to form a depending skirt 19 under which arearrangedto'extend projections formed on the edges of the cover and bodysections of the box. W'hile the projections'may takevarious forms, inthe particular construction illustrated these projections are in theform of lips 20, 21 formed by bending out the metal-ofthe walls of thebody and cover members 1,2, these lips being clamped under the socket 19of the head 17 by the rotation. of the head, as shown in Figure 3. Thefingers then are released by rotating the head in the opposite directionuntil the socket is clear of the lips, and this movement need be but avery slight one.

Where cases embody the bezel construction described for securing the twoparts of the box together, the rims 7 of these bezels will be providedwith grooves 22j-which receive the socket so that the parts can beclamped together.

In the particular case s is capacitated to receive a powder compact,indicated by the numerals 23, 24, these compacts being mounted on theusual metal bases 25. These compacts are arranged to snugly lit theinterior of the bezels 5, 6, before remay be readily removedifrom themembers and replaced by fresh ones if desired.

It will be seen with theiconstruction shown and describedthat very)simple and at-the hown each section sametime very effective latchingmeans have been provided for boxes of this character, and also a box ofimproved type in which the shell members may be identical andconveniently held in place, as may also the compacts or other toiletarticles carried in the body and cover members. 7

' While the invention has been shown and cles'cribed in its preferredform, it will be understood that various changes maybe made in thespecific construction shown and described without departing from theinvention as set forth-in the claims hereunto appended.

WVhat I claim is:

1.11:; a vanity case, a body member forming a compartment, a covermember for the compartment, bezels secured in the body and coverpivotally associated on a hinge and acting to pivotally associate thebody and cover, a socket located between the bezels, said bezels beingformed with depressions to receive the socket when the box is closed, acatch membermovable in the socket and having a flange, and a projectionon each of the members engaged and released by the movement of theflange for holding and releasing the members. V

2. In a vanity case, a body member forming a compartment, a cover memberfor the compartment, bezels securcd'in the body and cover pivotallyassociated on a hinge and acting to pivotally associate the body andcover,

a socket located between the bezels and having a screw thread, saidbezels being formed with depressions toireceive the socket when the boxis closed, a catch member rotatable in the socket and having a flange,and a projection on each of the-members engaged and released by therotation of the flange for holding and releasing themembers.

3. In a vanity case, a body, a cover pivotally associated with the body,a thin partition member between the body and cover, a socket .formedonthe edge of the partition member,

a catch member rotatable in the socket having an annular skirt, andprojections on the body and cover engaged and releasedby the movement ofthe skirt for holding and releasing the parts. V v

4." In a vanity case,a body, a cover pivotally associated with the body,a partition member'between thebody and cover, a socket secured on theedge of the partition member and having a'screw thread, a threadedstemengaging with the socket and having an annular 1 depending skirt, andprojections on the body and cover engaged and released by the movementof the skirt forholding and releasing the parts. i

5. In a vanity case, a body, a cover pivotally associated with the body,a partition member between the body and cover, a socket secured on theedge of the partition member and having a screw thread, a threaded stemengaging the socket and having an annular depending skirt, and lipsformed by striking up the walls of the body and cover engaged beneaththe skirt and released therefrom by the movement of the stem for holdingand releasing the parts. 7 V

' 6. In a vanity case, a body, a cover pivotally associated therewith,members having rimslocated in the body and cover and provided withgrooves, a partition between the 19 body and cover, a socket memberhaving a split end secured to the edge of the partition having a screwthread, a threaded stem ent V gaging with the socket and having anannular skirt, and lips struck up from the body and cover for engagingunder the skirtfor' holding and releasing the parts on the rotation ofthe stem, said socket lying in the I grooves when the box is closed.

7. In a vanity case, a body, a'cover pivot- 20 ally associatedtherewith, a metal partition member forming a mirror between the bodyand cover, a socket member secured on the edge of the partition andhavinga threaded end, a threaded stem having engagement in the socketand provided with a finger grip for rotating it, a skirt on the stem forholding and releasing the parts on the rotation of the stem, and lips onthe body and cover for engaging under the skirt. v

39 8. In a vanity case, similar shallow body and cover shells, formingcompartments, bezels secured in the shells and united by a hinge andpivotally associating the shells, a socket located between the bezels,said bezels being provided with depressions formed by punching in thematerial of the bezels and acting to receive the socket when the box isclosed, a catch member movable in the socket and having a flange, and aprojection on each 40 of the shells engaged and released by the movementof the flange for holding and releasing the members.

9. In a vanity case, similar shallow body and cover shells formingcompartments and 4 pivotally associated, a thin partition memberbetweenthe shells, a socket formed'on the edge of the partition, a catchmember rotatable in the socket having an annular flange, and projectionson the shells engaged and re leased by the movement of the flange for aholding and releasing the parts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. 5 JOHN L. MOATBEE. 5v

